Significance of the Tolman length at a molecular level

► By assuming valid a relationship between the work of cavity creation in a liquid and the bulk liquid-vapour surface tension, corrected for curvature effects, the Tolman length proves to be a purely fitting parameter. ► ΔGc is a fundamental quantity to understand solvation energetics. ► ΔGc is assumed to be proportional to the curvature-corrected surface tension. ► The Tolman length is the first-order curvature correction. ► The Tolman length loses a physical meaning if evaluated for molecular cavities.